


All The Lights Are Shining So Brightly Everywhere

by flutterbutt



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Blowjobs, Holidays, M/M, New Years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-01-06 21:34:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1111769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flutterbutt/pseuds/flutterbutt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis works at the Toys 'R' Us where Harry buys Lux's Christmas gift. A Christmas/New Year's fic of sorts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All The Lights Are Shining So Brightly Everywhere

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iamaveryprettypony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamaveryprettypony/gifts).



> This is for my lovely [Mikaykay](http://chipmunklou.tumblr.com). Happy holidays, lil sweetmeat, I hope you enjoy this. <3 <3 <3 <3
> 
> If you'd like to follow me on tumblr, I'm [jammydodgerlou](http://jammydodgerlou.tumblr.com).
> 
> This is unbetaed and un-Britpicked, so if you spot an error, do me a solid and let me know.
> 
> Title from Queen Mariah's "All I Want For Christmas Is You."

Harry is standing in the very pinkest aisle of Toys 'R' Us, glancing helplessly between each and every single Barbie. Swim Instructor Barbie. News Anchor Barbie. Fairy Princess Barbie. France Barbie, Baby Phat Barbie, Popstar Barbie. Every possible Barbie doll there could be, but no Mars Explorer Barbie. Harry chews his lip anxiously.

A voice startles Harry out of his Barbie-induced trance, and he jumps. "Do you need some help, sir?"

Little spots flash in front of Harry's eyes when he turns away from the wall of pink. When his vision clears again, he gulps. "Hi," he croaks.

The boy watching him is magnificently beautiful. Even his ugly blue employee polo manages to bring out his bright eyes, crinkled up in amusement. "Hi," he says back, light and raspy. There’s a green Father Christmas hat on his head.

"Er, sorry," Harry mumbles. "I'm looking for Mars Explorer Barbie."

"Great choice," the boy says with a little grin. He bustles to the other end of the aisle, and Harry trails behind him. "Second only to Color Change Mermaid Barbie, in my opinion."

"Er, it's for my goddaughter."

"Don't be ashamed," the boy says, throwing a wink over his shoulder. "Everyone loves Barbie." He scans the section he's stopped in front of, then drops to his knees to rummage around the bottom shelf.

Harry's gaze is immediately drawn to his spectacular, round arse, but he looks away quickly. He can feel every single Barbie staring at him, judging silently. Sweat beads on his forehead.

"Damn," the boy mutters, sitting back on his heels. "Does it absolutely have to be Mars Explorer Barbie?"

"Yeah," Harry says, feeling panic rise in his veins. "She was very specific."

"Alright." The boy stands, brushing off his trousers. "I'll see what I can do. Stay right here, I'll be back in a tick." He walks out of the aisle and disappears around the corner, leaving Harry alone with all of the dolls. Who are still judging him.

"It was a nice bum," he wants to mutter to them in his own defense, but he catches himself just in time.

Harry is perusing the different Color Change Mermaid Barbies when the boy comes back. "Found one," he huffs, pushing his fringe away from his face. "One Mars Explorer Barbie, here you are."

"Oh, thank you," Harry says, sagging with relief as he accepts the doll. "Thank you so much. I'll still be her favorite, thank goodness."

The boy throws back his head and lets out a laugh that makes Harry's brain short out. He is so, so beautiful. "Glad I could help you maintain your good standing," he says. "Is there anything else you're looking for?"

 _Your number_ , Harry thinks. "Er, no? Well. Maybe a couple of smaller gifts to go along with this, I suppose."

"We have Barbie coloring books, Barbie make up sets,” the boy says, ticking off his fingers, “Barbie video games, Barbie paint-by-numbers, Barbie t-shirts, Barbie chainsaws, Barbie hookahs, pretty much Barbie everything.”

Harry blinks. “You don’t really have Barbie chainsaws or hookahs, right?”

The boy shrugs. “We might, honestly.”

“Okay,” Harry says. “Erm. I’m a bit lost. Do you have any recommendations?”

The boy is trying not to laugh at him, he thinks. “How old is this little girl?”

“Six.”

“Nail lacquer,” The boy says, and the bustles away down the aisle. He does that a lot, really. Harry stumbles to keep up with him. “Here,” he says, unearthing a box set of small bottles of lacquer under a pile of Barbie cosmetics. There’s a range of pinks and purples and oranges inside. “My sisters love these, should go over well.”

Harry notices now that the boy’s nails are painted a sparkly shade of tangerine when he hands over the box. “Which one’s that, then?” he asks, gesturing at his hands.

The boys laughs. “Orange Dream Soda, I think it’s called. That was one of the twins.”

“It’s pretty,” Harry says. His insides squirm when the boy ducks his head bashfully and smiles.

“Well, I’ve helped you with all of this,” he says. “Least you could do is tell me what your name is, yeah?”

“That’s a little unfair, considering I don’t know what _your_ name is,” Harry answers.

“Mate,” the boy snorts. “I’m wearing a nametag.”

“Oh.” Harry blushes and peers down. The boy’s nametag is fixed to his sleeve and it reads Louis. “Lou-ee?”

“Yep,” Louis confirms, delighted. “And yours?”

“Harry,” he answers, then tacks on an automatic, “Pleased to meet you.”

“And you, Harry. Enjoy your toys,” Louis murmurs, and then he’s walking away again.

Harry doesn’t drop the doll or the nail lacquer, but it’s a near thing.

\--

Lux doesn’t like pink. At least, Harry is pretty sure she doesn’t, since he doesn’t see her wearing pink very often. Not more than twice a week. He distinctly remembers her telling him that his favorite color is green.

That’s how Harry ends up in Toys ‘R’ Us again. Lux won’t like the box of pink and orange Barbie nail lacquers he picked out, so he clearly needs to find a replacement set.

It doesn’t take him long to find the aisle Louis showed him two days ago. Worryingly, it only takes him a moment to locate a set of green and blue lacquers. He’ll have to leave soon.

It’s not that Harry came back to see Louis again. Honestly, the trip was completely, absolutely, only for Lux.

Harry strolls as casually as he can across the aisles, wracking his brain to think of any other children he’ll have to buy gifts for this year. Actually, Liam would probably enjoy a nice board game. Maybe he can find an easy bake oven for Niall, and something comic book-related for Zayn. That’s his list sorted, then.

As he’s walking through the store, Harry carefully looks down each aisle out of the corner of his eye. He’s quite pleased with his own stealth. At least, he’s plenty stealthy until he thinks he catches a glimpse of Louis, which is when he does a double take so violently that he hits his head on a shelf and knocks over a basket of super bounce balls.

“Oh no,” Harry whispers in absolute horror as all of the brightly colored balls bounce off in every direction, knocking things off shelves and crashing around.

A good two dozen people to stop what they’re doing to stare at Harry, still lying in a heap on the floor. He scrambles up to grab as many of the still-bouncing balls as he can as the others scatter farther still, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Two irritated employees (neither of them Louis, fortunately) and another customer help him gather up the rest of them before they bounce right to the coast and disappear into the ocean forever.

“Sorry,” Harry says probably a million times. The two employees nod at him before bustling off (do all Toys ‘R’ Us employees bustle everywhere?) and the other customer, probably a dad, slaps Harry on the back before returning to his shopping.

Louis is still nowhere in sight.

Harry shakes out his hair and takes a few moments to just breathe deeply and re-center his being within the Christmas spirit. His box of Barbie nail lacquers is still intact, thankfully. He is here on a mission. A Christmas mission.

He’s going over his mental shopping list (and checking it twice, ha) when the sound of someone playing a keyboard wafts from somewhere nearby. Harry ambles toward the sound until he gets to the musical instruments section of the store, where he finds Louis playing, of all things, Imagine.

“That’s not very festive of you,” is somehow the greeting that comes out of Harry’s mouth.

Louis looks over with a little grin, not missing a note. He’s still wearing the Father Christmas hat. “Sure it is. Peace on earth and goodwill towards men and all that.”

He has a point, Harry must admit. Still. “It’s not a Christmas song,” Harry insists. “Or a Hanukkah song. But Hanukkah is over, so it wouldn’t count even if it was a Hanukkah song.”

Louis snorts and stops playing. “Alright, fine. To tell you the truth, though, I don’t know any Christmas songs,” He says this very seriously, as though it’s a great failing of his. (It is.)

“I didn’t want for you to stop playing,” Harry says. “I mean. Erm. You play very nicely.”

“Thank you,” Louis says, and tips an invisible hat. “Can’t stand here messing about all day. Work to be done. Christmases to be made. Customers to assist.” He tilts his head and winks at Harry. “Hello, customer Harry, can I offer you my assistance?”

Harry can feel his toes curl in his boots from the sound of Louis’ husky voice and the curve of his body where he’s leaned against the shelf. Louis remembered Harry’s name.

“Erm. I have a list. Yes.” Harry blinks. “Yes.”

“Yes?” Louis asks, raising an eyebrow. His smirk widens.

Harry nods. “Mhm.” Louis is mocking him, just a little bit, and he feels a curl of warmth in his stomach at the thought. He may be blushing.

“Can I see the list?” Louis asks.

“It’s a mental list,” Harry clarifies, “so if you can read minds…”

Louis laughs. “Alright, just walk me through it, then. I see you have more of the Barbie lacquer. Ocean Breeze set, good choice. Any other Barbie merchandise?”

“Not this time, but I do have a friend who loves Marvel comics—“

“I know just the thing,” Louis says, his eyes lighting up. He sets off to the elevators, with Harry trotting to keep up.

Forty minutes later, Harry has a cart filled with gifts for his friends, a new contact on his phone, a new friend on Snapchat, and a whole colony of butterflies in his tummy.

Louis has helped him through his entire list. He talked Harry out of buying an easy bake for Niall (“It’s just a plastic box with a light bulb inside, mate, it’s not worth the 25 quid,”) and instead suggested a set of nice cake molds and a dessert cookbook. It’s perfect for Niall, and Louis is perfect, perfect, perfect.

Now that Louis has left Harry at the registers and scurried off to actually do his job (presumably), Harry sneaks back to the Marvel aisle to find one more gift.

\--

Harry can never figure out how long he’s supposed to wait before texting someone, but it turns out that he doesn’t need to worry. Louis sends him a snap that very evening of a super bounce ball caught between a shelf and the floor with the caption, “all the way across the store, well done.”

Harry replies with a snap of himself covering his face in embarrassment, captioned, “how did you find out about that??”

Louis’ response is a shot of him mid-wink, with no caption.

The weekend before Harry’s term ends, Louis breaks from their usual litany of bad puns to text Harry, “hey can i take you out to the cinema before we both go home ?”

Harry responds, “I’d like nothing more!!!” and, immediately after pressing send, wonders if it was too enthusiastic. Three exclamation marks is pretty excessive.

Louis replies, “good :) xx,” so it probably wasn’t.

The next day, Louis picks up Harry in the afternoon. He’s wearing jeans tight enough that Harry swallows when he sees him, and his hair is done in some kind of quiff/Superman curl hybrid.

Harry maybe wasn’t prepared for what Louis would look like in something other than his uniform.

“Hi. You look beautiful,” Harry tells Louis as he slides into the passenger seat. His voice is much too deep and too quiet. He clears his throat.

“Thanks, love,” Louis replies, giving Harry a slow once-over. “You’re pretty dashing, yourself.”

Harry sits up a little straighter and just catches himself before he starts to preen. Instead, he straps on his seat belt as Louis begins driving to the shopping centre.

Louis is, somehow, exactly the way that Harry imagined he'd be on a date. He takes Harry to a cozy, private Italian restaurant, where he's booked a reservation (a _reservation_ , jesus), and pulls out Harry's chair for him before he sits down. Behind the polite chivalry, though, he's the same boy that's been texting Harry dick jokes for the past week. He steals bits from Harry's plate without asking, laughs too loudly for the small restaurant, and mutters to Harry about how the man two tables over looks like a giant wanker. Harry finds himself completely mesmerized, hanging on Louis' every word no matter what shit he's talking about.

It's pathetic, really.

Halfway through the meal, Harry knocks his ankle against Louis' and leaves his foot there. Louis gives him a little smirk and knocks his ankle back. Then he drops his eyes down to his wineglass and traces his fingertip lightly up the stem of it, watching Harry from under his lashes.

"Jesus," Harry mutters, staring as Louis runs his pinky over the rim of the glass.

Louis laughs a little under his breath and leans back. "Wanna split dessert?" he asks lightly, patting Harry's hand.

"Do you mean that literally or is that innuendo?" Harry manages to say.

"Both," Louis says, his eyes sparkling. "For right now, though, I'd really like a cannoli. A literal cannoli."

"For right now," Harry repeats softly.

They share a plate of pistachio cannoli. In revenge, Harry takes the opportunity to carefully lick a bit of the fluffy cream off his fingers, letting out a quiet "mmm" as he does it. He can’t help but grin smugly when he sees Louis flush and clear his throat.

"You're a little shit," Louis tells him.

"You're a fine one to talk," Harry protests.

Louis rolls his eyes as he signals to the waiter that they need their check. He's ready with his card when the waiter comes back, and before Harry realizes it, Louis' paid their bill in full.

"Hey," Harry says, pouting. "I was gonna get that."

"I'm taking _you_ out," Louis points out, raising an eyebrow. "I'd be a shit date if I didn't pay."

"I'm buying the cinema tickets," Harry declares.

Louis grins. "Nope. I pre-bought them online."

"You're impossible," Harry groans as they stand up and put their coats back on to walk to the cinema.

"Impossible is my middle name," Louis informs him. Harry can believe it. "If it upsets you so much, though, you can pay next time."

Harry grins. "Little early to be planning a second date."

Louis gives him a smirk. "I'm pretty confident."

"Cocky, I would say. Quite cocky."

Louis presses to Harry's side so he can whisper against his ear, "You have no idea."

Harry inhales sharply as Louis nonchalantly slips his hand in the crook of Harry's elbow.

"You want popcorn?" Louis asks innocently.

"You're going to lick the butter off your fingers, aren't you?"

"Almost certainly, yeah."

Harry realizes now that he's going to have to see Catching Fire again later, because there's no way he'll be able to follow most of it tonight.

They take their seats just as the previews start, and with an exaggerated, clearly fake yawn, Harry stretches his arms over his head and drops one over Louis' shoulders.

Louis presses his face into Harry's neck and giggles against his collarbone. "Very smooth."

"Smooth is my middle name," Harry mutters back, ever-so-slightly mocking.

Louis sticks his tongue out, but settles against Harry's side all the same.

They're five minutes into the movie when Louis drops his hand to Harry's thigh, just resting it there at first.

Harry rolls his eyes even as he's squirming in his seat.

"You are the least subtle boy I have ever met," He whispers into Louis' ear when Louis starts lightly stroking his thigh a few minutes later.

"Is that a complaint?" Louis asks, tipping his head up.

"Nah." Harry nudges his nose against Louis’ in a silent question. Louis smiles a little, so Harry presses their lips together in a slow kiss.

Louis is an infuriatingly teasing kisser. He kisses Harry light and soft, nipping at Harry's bottom lip every now and again, and keeps the kiss from getting any deeper. Every time Harry tries to lick into his mouth, Louis changes the angle of the kiss and smirks against Harry's lips instead, but slides his hand up Harry's thigh a little bit more.

Harry moves his hand from where it's resting on Louis' neck up into Louis' hair, giving it a little frustrated tug. Louis makes a soft noise against Harry's lips, so Harry does it again. At the same time, he bites down on Louis' lower lip. Louis shivers a little and finally, finally opens his mouth, turning the kiss slick and deep and glorious.

Unexpectedly, Louis drags his hand all the way up Harry's thigh to grind the heel of his palm against Harry's zipper. "Shit," Harry gasps, breaking away from Louis' mouth. Louis presses a trail of biting kisses down Harry's neck and settles down to suck a mark in Harry's collarbone.

The people behind them are unsubtly coughing and nudging the back of Harry's seat by now, so he touches a finger to Louis' cheek to get his attention. "Wanna leave?" he murmurs.

Louis glances towards the screen, then turns back to grin filthily at Harry. "Yeah, let's go."

Harry suspects that Louis breaks a few driving laws on the way to his flat. Still, it feels like too long between their dash out of the cinema to the time he gets to pin Louis against the door to his flat.

"Hang on, hang on," Louis murmurs as Harry is tugging at his belt and kissing his jaw. "Just let me get inside—“

"Seems a bit much for a first date," Harry quips breathlessly, but he lets Louis go long enough that he can unlock his door. Once it's open and they're inside, Louis shuts the door with a bang and runs towards one of the bedrooms, whipping his shirt over his head and waving it like a flag as he goes.

Hot on his heels, Harry catches up in time to see Louis vault onto the bed in the corner of the room. They're both giggling wildly as they hurriedly strip down. Once all of Harry's clothes are in a heap, the floor freezing under his bare feet, he hops onto the bed and climbs onto Louis.

"Remember how I told you were beautiful earlier?" Harry says into Louis’ hair.

"Mhm," Louis mumbles into Harry's chest.

"I lied," he continues. "You're really, really, really beautiful, fuck."

Louis giggles, burying his face in Harry's skin. "Thank you. I'd like to blow you, please."

"Fuck," Harry groans. "Yeah, okay, that can be arranged."

"Good," Louis says. He pushes Harry to lie down on his back and arranges him how he likes on the bedspread, then settles himself between Harry's thighs.

Louis wraps one hand wrapped around the base of Harry's dick and he sinks down slowly, so slowly. If he was (really, really, really) beautiful before, it doesn't possibly compare to how he looks now, with his sharp cheekbones even more prominent above his hollowed cheeks and his long eyelashes fluttering.

Louis sucks dick the same way that he kisses: slow and wonderful, but so teasingly that Harry thinks he might die. After a few slow, long sucks, he pulls back to delicately lick at the head of Harry's dick, digging the tip of his tongue into the slit for a moment. He presses a series of light, fluttering kisses over Harry's dick before he sinks down again, just as slow and measured as before. Harry's ready to melt into a pile of tears as Louis’ hand is jerking the base of his dick in time with his mouth.

After a few minutes, Louis pulls off completely and grabs both of Harry's hands. "You can pull," he says, voice gorgeously husky, then places both of Harry's hands into his hair. "Don't be too gentle."

It takes Harry's lust-glazed brain a moment to catch up with what Louis means, and by that time, Louis' already got his mouth around Harry's dick again.

"Oh god," Harry whimpers, curling his hands into the soft, long hair at the back of Louis' head.

Louis sucks lightly at the head of his dick, apparently waiting for Harry.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Harry mutters under his breath over and over, like a prayer. He gives a small tug at first, pulling Louis a couple inches up. Louis pinches his thigh hard, admonishing. So Harry tugs harder, setting up a rhythm just as slow as Louis had been going before. Louis pinches him again after a bit. Harry tugs harder, faster, until Louis is moaning around his dick, one hand braced on Harry's hip for a bit of leverage.

Harry notices Louis' shoulder moving, and when he cranes his neck, he sees that Louis has his free hand wrapped around his own cock. He has to close his eyes at the sight, completely overwhelmed.

"I'm getting close," he rasps, pausing. "Can I go harder?"

Louis adjusts the angle of his neck, then lifts his eyes back to Harry’s as if he’s waiting. It’s possibly the most erotic thing Harry has ever seen.

So Harry tugs hard enough that his dick hits the back of Louis' throat. On the next tug, it slides down a little farther.

Louis is whining around him now, making little choked-off noises every time Harry pulls his hair harder. It doesn't take long at all before Harry is shouting a warning, and then coming hard into Louis' mouth.

Harry breathes hard as he comes down, slumped back against the bed. Louis sits back on his heels once Harry lets go of his hair, and he is—well, he's a sight.

He's flushed red from his forehead down over his chest, and his eyelashes are wet with tears. His breath is harsh as his eyes rove over Harry's spent body, and his cock is leaking and flushed dark in his fist. Harry's dick gives a weak twitch.

"Come up here," Harry says, helping Louis crawl up the bed so he can perch his bum on Harry's chest. "Wanna suck you just like this."

"Harry," Louis moans, his voice rough and creaky.

"Fucking hell," Harry murmurs, burying his face into Louis' thigh for a moment.

Louis whines, petting at Harry's cheek desperately.

"I've got you, I've got you," Harry whispers to him, rubbing the skin of his hips gently. He takes Louis' cock with one hand and guides it to his mouth, his other hand sliding to Louis' fantastic round arse to pull him closer.

"Fuck," Louis says on an exhale, tipping his head back.

Louis' strong, tanned thighs are trembling on either side of Harry's chest, and there are goose bumps all over his body. Harry moves his hand from Louis' arse to slide up his tummy and his chest, brushing over his nipples as he sucks Louis down. Louis' hips jerk slightly, and he pets Harry's hair in a silent apology.

"Feel so good," Louis murmurs to him, his voice completely wrecked and shaky.

Harry groans around Louis' dick, sucking a bit more into his mouth.

He can't decide which part of Louis' body he wants to touch most, so his free hand flits from Louis' shoulders to his nipples down to his tummy and back up again. All of Louis's skin is so soft and smooth, and Harry can't get enough. Finally, he cups both of his hands on Louis' arse again, helping him rock gently into Harry's mouth.

"I'm gonna come," Louis whimpers above him. His hands are braced on the wall behind them and he's dropped his head down to stare at Harry, lips parted.

Harry sucks him down as far as he can and stays there as Louis groans through his orgasm, shivering all over.

After a few moments where Harry keeps his face pressed into the skin of Louis' inner thigh, running his hands soothingly over his sides, he helps him ease off Harry's chest to lie down beside him.

"Mind if I stay the night?" Harry asks quietly.

"Not at all," Louis tells him, giving Harry a tiny, sleepy-eyed smile and reaching over to push his fringe back.

"You're ace at first dates," Harry murmurs, trying to get under the covers without moving off the bed.

Louis snorts softly. "Likewise."

Harry grunts, still struggling with the blankets, and somehow manages to knock himself right off the bed. He’d been doing so well all night, too, so smooth and mishap-free. Louis is still howling with laughter even as he curls into Harry’s chest once he’s climbed back up.

In the morning, Louis kisses Harry soft and warm at his front door and invites him to a New Year's party in Doncaster. Harry says he'll be there, and then he floats back to his flat in a happy daze.

\--

That day at Toys 'R' Us, Louis had mentioned that his birthday was on Christmas Eve. When Harry wakes up the morning of the 24th, he sends Louis a video of himself singing his very own jazzy version of Happy Birthday.

"saving that one !!! x" Louis texts back when Harry is at breakfast. Harry's cheeks go pink and he looks so obviously pleased that Gemma teases him about it for the entire week.

On Christmas Day, Lou calls Harry so that Lux can thank him profusely and adorably for the Barbie he picked out.

"It's everything I wanted, Uncle Harry," she gushes. "Thank you thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"You're welcome, darling," Harry laughs. "Do you want to be an astronaut when you grow up, like Barbie?"

"No," She says as though Harry has said something particularly dim-witted, "I'm going to be an outer-space alien when I grow up. And a racecar driver. I can't be all _three._ "

"You're right. How silly of me," Harry answers.

"Uncle Harry is very silly sometimes," Lux sighs, long-suffering.

Louis sends Harry a snap of himself under a pile of younger girls (his sisters, Harry supposes), blowing a kiss to the camera.

As Harry settles down on the couch for his customary post-presents nap with Gemma on the armchair beside him, he mutters aloud that it's been a very happy Christmas indeed. Gemma tells him to shut up.

\--

The day of New Year's Eve arrives, and Harry carefully wraps up the last gift he bought at Toys 'R' Us in birthday paper, before getting dressed equally carefully.

"Where are you off to?" Gemma demands, scanning Harry's outfit.

"Just out with some friends," Harry answers, as casually as he can.

Gemma rolls his eyes. "You've gone for that 'I only took five minutes to get ready and I look a bit like a hobo' look, but I know for a fact you just spent 30 minutes getting your hair like that."

Harry touches his head self-consciously, frowning.

"Who are you meeting?" Gemma asks again. Suddenly, her eyes light up and a shit-eating grin spreads across her face. "It's that Louis, isn't it? Oh my goodness, it is."

"Erm," Harry says. "He invited me to his New Year's thing. And his birthday just passed, so." He gestures toward the wrapped box under his arm. "You know."

Gemma rolls her eyes. "Just don't propose marriage to him. It's too early yet."

"Hey," Harry calls after her, frowning as she disappears upstairs, chortling to herself. "I knew that!"

Harry gets gradually more anxious on the drive to Doncaster, and he almost gets lost twice. By the time he gets there, he can tell from outside that the party is already in full swing.

A mostly-sober boy named Stan answers the door, and bellows for Louis when Harry introduces himself.

Louis appears at the door immediately, clearly quite tipsy, and bundles Harry into his arms right away. "You're here!" he cheers. "And you have a present. Is it for me? Did you get a present for me? Can I open it now?"

Harry laughs, and pecks Louis fondly on the top of his head. "Yes, to all of those questions."

"Yay! Come with me," he demands, grabbing Harry's wrist and pulling him inside. He leads Harry through several rooms, introducing him quickly to the many people that they run into.

"Harry's brought me a present, so we're going to unwrap it now!" Louis calls behind him as they arrive at an empty bedroom. Several wolf-whistles follow them.

"Happy birthday," Harry says, sitting next to Louis on the bed. Louis is already tearing off the paper wildly. "I had to guess about your size, but—“

"Harry," Louis says with wonder, staring down at the Spiderman Vans nestled in white paper. "Oh, wow. I've wanted these for months. How did you know?"

"You, er, I noticed you pouting at them, that day. When you helped me shop." Harry twists his hands nervously.

Louis stares at him, mouth hanging open. "Did you get these for me that day?"

"Erm. Yes?" Harry blushes. "I hoped I might get to see you again, so."

Louis pushes forward, catching Harry in a happy, sweet kiss. "You're incredible, wow."

"You like them?"

"Yes, you dolt," Louis answers, kicking off his shoes and pulling the crumpled paper out of his new Vans.

"And they're the right size?"

"Yes," Louis says, laughing. “Thank you. Now, let’s go show these off to everyone who will listen, yeah?” With that, he grabs Harry’s hand and charges back to the party.

They spend the rest of the night attached to each other’s hip, laughing and dancing and getting drunk with all of Louis' friends. As the seconds tick down to midnight, Louis circles his arms around Harry's neck and pulls him into a lingering kiss. It’s wonderful.

Harry is pretty optimistic about 2014.


End file.
